Unexpected Healing
by SabakuNoGaaraLover
Summary: GaarSaku Once Sasuke left Sakura has become cold and the most unexpected person is the only one who can heal her heart.
1. The Mission Updated

**Author's Note:**

** I would like to thank everyone who stood by me for everything that happened with me in the past, and I would like to apologize for taking so long to come back to this, but I finally have, and I promise not to disappoint. **

** I've done a few minor changes to the older chapters, so please read them! Thank you!**

The now twenty-year old pink-haired kuonichi jumped from branch to branch towards Suna, thinking of the emotional conversation she had with her former team-mate, Naruto.

_Flashback_

_ "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? He's gone and is never coming back!" yelled a worried Naruto_

_ Sakura stared at her friend, her emotionless face still intact. Ever since Saskue left to be with Orochimaru to gain power, Sakura has been distant to the world, wearing black everyday like a materialistic wall and never socializing, so that she wouldn't have anyone know of her emotional pain. _

_ "What am I doing to myself, exactly?" she asked, voice glacial and distant._

_ Naruto took a step forward and grabbed Sakura's arms "You never talk to me anymore, your always cold, you've been wearing black ever since Sasuke left, and you act like you don't care when everyone around you knows your hurting inside!" Naruto yelled as tears of anguish formed in his eyes, rolling heavily down his cheeks._

_ "I'm sorry I make you cry and worry" said Sakura in a monotone voice._

_ There was a knock on the door and Sakura went to go answer it, revealing a very terrified Kiba._

_ When Sasuke left, Sakura had dedicated all of her time for training and S-class and A-class missions with ANBU or on her own. She had also trained with the legendary sanin, Tsunade. She had become very powerful over the years, most likely the most powerful kuonichi in Konoha._

_ "The Hokage wishes to see you immediately, Sakura" said Kiba_

_ Sakura nodded and Kiba leaped away to finish his other tasks. She stepped outside her door to begin walking to the Hokages office when Naruto's voice made her pause._

_ "Sakura, please. Please listen." he said with anguish_

_ Sakura turned around, her eyes glazed and empty, as if she had turned off everything that had once been Sakura, and had left only a husk. _

_ "Sakura," Naruto began, "we love you, everyone in the village, and we all know your hurting over Sauske. I tried my hardest to bring him back for you, for everyone who loved him too, and I failed. All this pain your feeling is all my fault, and it tears me up inside to see you like this. I want the Sakura that I love to come back. Please give her back" he pleaded. _

_ Sakura lifted her eyes to meet the cerulean blue one's of Naruto's. For a second Naruto thought she would say something, but then she turned back around and began walking, leaving a grieving Naruto behind. _

_ Sakura arrived at the Hokage tower a few minutes later, the conversation between her and Naruto not affecting her in the least. She walked to the front desk where a pretty woman and a small pig sat behind. _

_ "Shizune" Sakura acknowledged. She sent a small look in the pig's direction and was greeted with a loud "Oink" _

_ Shizune looked up from some papers she was reading over and gave a small smile to Sakura. _

_ "You can go right in Sakura. She's expecting you."_

_ Sakura nodded her thanks and began making her way through the winding hall way to the large door at the end. She tapped lightly on the wooden door, and after hearing a slurred "Come in" she walked in and stood in front of the very drunk, very loud, blonde – headed Hokage. _

_ "You called for me?" asked Sakura _

_ "Yes, I have a mission for you in Suna." Tsunade slurred. _

_ "You are to protect the Kazekage from the Akatsuki." Sakura nodded her understanding._

_ "Here are some brief details on your mission and you will leave immediately" Tsunade handed her former apprentice a scroll and held on to it for a second longer when Sakura tried to take it, and looked directly into Sakura's eyes, seeming to have sobered quickly. "Sakura, when are you going to learn that there is more to life than the Uchiha?" Sakura didn't move for a second, then she tugged on the scroll effectively removing it from the Hokage's hands and walked out of the office without so much as a word. _

_End flashback_

Sakura sighed inwardly knowing that Naruto and Tsunade was right, but unable to forget the throbbing pain in her heart. She looked down at her clothing, noting that everything was black, just as Naruto had said. Honestly, she never even noticed. It must have been something subconscious in her to make her choose something black to wear everyday.

For the mission, she wore a skirt with silver buckles on the side, the buckles containing compartments that were filled with vials of poison, and a silver studded belt hanging loosely on her hips, in which the studs could also be used as weapons. A black skin-tight tank top covered a mesh undershirt, which hooked around her middle finger, black leather boots and a black and silver choker completed her clothing.

Her hair was now at the bottom of her back, and bangs hung over her eyes giving her a seductive visage. Her eyes were no longer the bright orbs they were when she was twelve but a dull green clouded with sorrow.

Sakura crouched down on a branch for a second, feeling that something was wrong. She dipped her head down, and surveyed the forest around her through the veil of her hair, looking for something that was causing alarms to ring and scream in her head.

Sakura looked up just in time to dodge a kunai that was aimed for her heart. As she dropped to the forest floor she took a kunai and a shuriken from her pack and moved to a fighting position.

All around her dozens of rouge ninja surrounded her, blocking every escape route. She sighed as she wanted to get to Suna right away without delay but now these bastards were now in her way to doing that. And it was not in her plan to die that day.


	2. Growling Gaara Updated

**Author's Note:**

** As you saw in the first chapter, I did add to it a little, and I plan on doing that for all the older chapters, and when I am finished updating, I will release brand new chapter's. Thanks so much for your patience!**

A quick glance around gave her the knowledge that around thirty to thirty-five rouge ninja surrounded her. Sakura steeled herself mentally to calm herself and then threw a kunai, one she had taken from her pouch at her thigh, at her nearest opponent, before performing a series of hand signs, thanking Kakashi silently for teaching her the jutsu, and disappearing in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

Sakura reappeared behind a group of five, killing them instantly by slicing their throats from behind. Sakura suddenly felt a throbbing pain blossom in her right shoulder and looked to see a kunai sticking out of the skin. Sakura pulled out the kunai, which was thrown hard enough to have buried itself deep into her muscle and bone, making her arm almost useless, and threw it at another ninja.

"Six down" Sakura said silently to herself "Twenty-five to go".

What seemed like an eternity later, Sakura had killed all the ninja but did not go unharmed herself. She flopped down onto the ground, and looked down at her battered body, and the bruises and cuts that littered her skin.

Blood covered her hair, temporarily dying it red, and dripped down her face. A huge gash throbbed on her left arm, and combined with her wounded shoulder, she was losing blood fast.

She attempted to try and staunch the blood flow, but she was dangerously low on chakra, and couldn't perform the jutsu.

Sakura stood up shakily, took a step forward, and fell before she succumbed to the infinite bliss of unconsciousness.

Gaara growled low in anger and twitched in frustration as he stared at the mountain of papers that littered his desk.

When Gaara was thirteen, he was chosen to become the Kazekage, being the youngest in all history. He took the job but he did not expect to always be cooped up in a stuffy office all day signing papers until his fingers bled.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Gaara growled again, thinking "_If this is Kankoro coming to give me more papers to sign I will tear him to shreds and feed him to the animals". _

Gaara sighed thinking what a bliss that would be before calling a "Come In". A little girl of around ten walked into his office stopping in front of his desk.

She reached out a little hand and handed the Kazekage a letter with trembling fingers. He snatched the letter out of her hand and growled at her, and smiled a cold smile as she ran out of the room.

He opened the letter and read its contents. He growled in frustration. It seemed he has done a lot of that recently. The letter read

"_Dear Kazekage,_

_The kunochi that was supposed to come from Konoha this afternoon did not arrive."_

The Kazekage slammed the letter down onto the table, and called for trackers. Gaara sent his five best tracker shinobi to find the pest of a woman, whether dead or alive, and scowled at the paperwork littering his desk, and mashed his teeth together.


	3. Meeting Again Updated

**Here is chapter 3 updated. Hope you like the changes!**

** Love,**

** Sabakunogaaralover**

Five ninja scoured the forest for Sakura or her remains, using every technique they had at hand for tracking.

One ninja kneeled down before his captain and said,

"Captain, we have been searching for hours, and the others are wanting on go back to the village".

The captain of the tracking squad, known as Tonya, sighed heavily.

"We have no choice. We must find the girl, dead or alive. We must find her or we have no home"

Tonya, a jonin, rolled his neck, working out the tension. He stood up and called to his men

"The faster we find this girl, the faster we get home" He picked up his pack and leaped to the treetops followed by his men.

Sakura desperately tried to open her eyes, fighting the blackness that clouded her mind. With the last strength she possessed, she pried her eyes open, only to shut them closed again as a blinding light pierced her senses. She opened her eyes again slowly, allowing them to get used to brightness of the dying sun.

Sakura pushed herself onto her arms, wincing as her muscles and wounds screamed in protest. She moved into a sitting position trying to orientate herself. She looked around at her surroundings, noting the bodies on the ground.

It all came back to her in a rush, the fight, the fainting, everything. She struggled to stand on her feet, and took an uneasy step forward. Sakura woozily walked in the direction of Suna, determined to reach the village before she fainted again.

Toyna suddenly stopped on a branch, and the others followed suit.

He was silent a moment, and then said, "I smell blood and cherry blossoms."

He jumped down to find a pink- haired woman leaning against a tree with her eyes closed, holding a kunai knife in her hand.

"If you are going to kill me might as well do it now" she said tiredly.

Tonya laughed and said "Konuchi, I will not kill you. I have been sent here by the Kazekage himself to track you down and bring you to Suna."

Sakura opened an eye slowly, and looked at the man who had spoken, noticing the sand head protector. These days, head protectors really did not mean so much. This man could of just killed a real sand shinobi and stole his headband to come and kill her. Then she thought to herself,

"_If they've come here to kill me, they are being slow about it. I'm going to die anyways if these __wounds don't get treated, so, I might as well follow along."_

She closed her eye again, then responded "Fine. But I refuse to allow you to carry me."

Tonya, she later learned his name, bowed his head, and went to help her up to the treetops. Once there, they began their journey back towards Suna, keeping a close watch on the kunoichi.

Sakura screamed in her mind at the throbbing pain in her body, fighting the darkness to stay conscious. In her mind, she was in turmoil, but on her face she showed absolutely no hint of her pain and emotions. Sakura almost sighed in relief as the village of Suna came into view.

"_I thought I would not make it before fainting from the pain" _she thought.

As she reached the gates of Suna, she leaned against the outer wall before she finally succumbed to unconsciousness from her wounds and the pain.

Toyna watched in silence as one of his men picked up the pink-haired woman. He nodded to his men, then began walking towards the Kazekage's office to give his report.

He walked to the front desk where a chunin was on duty, and asked to see the Kazekage. The young man looked up from his work and nodded, and rose to announce his presence. He knocked on the door, waited for a response from inside, then opened it, ushering him inside.

Tonya walked to the front of the desk, where the young, red-headed Kazekage sat.

Gaara looked up from his work to see his tracker ninja. He was silent, waiting for Tonya to begin.

Tonya cleared his throat before he began to speak.

"We have located the kunoichi, and brought her here to Suna. We found her around five miles from the gates, wounded and dying. There were around thirty rouge-ninja dead around 200 yards from where we found her. She sported quite a number of wounds, and is gravely injured. We moved as fast as we could, and as we speak, my men are taking her to the hospital."

Gaara nodded. signaling Tonya that he can go.

_Eight Days Later_

Sakura woke up to an unfamiliar white ceiling.

_ "Where am I?" _she thought.

Sakura sat up only to be pushed down gently but firmly by a male hand. She looked up to a man she had never met before, but when she could open her mouth to speak, he spoke. "My name is Kenji. I was one of the tracker ninja along with Tonya that found you in the forest." Sakura nodded.

"Welcome to Suna, Haruno Sakura" replied another voice. She sat up and looked up into the eyes of the Kazekage.

Sakura blinked but showed nothing else.

"Sabaku No Gaara, It's nice to see you again"


	4. Insanity Updated

**Chapter 4 updated! Hope you love the changes!**

** Love,**

** Sabakunogaaralover**

It's been five days since Sakura woke up in the Suna hospital.

Sakura has spent those days sleeping and restoring her chakra, but silently, Sakura was going insane.

_ "I have been in this hospital for five days! I can't take it!" _she thought.

Sakura had been trying to be as patient as she could be, but the lack of exercise and movement has been troublesome.

_ "I have to get out of this hospital." _Sakura sighed as the inner battle inside of her mind raged on.

_ "Either I stay and be a good little girl or I can bust out and do something…" _As her thoughts flew through her conscious, Sakura came to a conclusion.

She gingerly swung her legs off the side of the hospital bed and stood up. After coaxing her legs to not bend, but to straighten and hold up her weight, Sakura walked towards the little closet on the other side of the room. Opening the door she took out clothes that Tonya, the platoon leader who had brought her to Suna, had bought for her and began putting them on.

Sakura caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that hung from the closet door and noted how she gained a few new scars. Touching the bright red and still raw wounds, she sighed, remembering when she was younger, she would have had a heart attack about the marks she now bore on her skin, but now, as a trained shinobi, she no longer cared about how she looked. It wasn't like she had someone to show off to anyways. She sighed again at her thoughts.

Shaking her head to rid herself of useless thoughts, she concentrated on clothing herself again. Instead of the standarized ninja shoes, she wore soft soled boots that clung to her skin giving her freedom of movement. On her hips she wore a black skirt that was cut on the sides all the way up to her hips, showing silver shorts that also clung to her like a second skin. She a donned a mesh tank-top that showed every inch of her skin. Sakura blushed a little as she noticed that her breasts were visiable through the mesh top. Picking up her Hitai-ate, she tied it around her chest hoping to cover her body a little more, and save herself the embarresing stares of the villagers.

Finished dressing, Sakura walked towards the door of the hospital room, noting her shoes made no sound on the tiled floor. Sakura used her heightened senses to see if anyone was sitting outside her door. She quickly stepped back from the door as she felt the presence of two high-class shiobi standing guard not a foot from her, only a thin wooden door shielding her from their eyes. Sakura cursed and looked around the room, noticing a window. She went to the window and opened it just enough to let her through. After jumping out and landing on the roof, Sakura jumped from rooftop to rooftop looking around her new temporary home.

As Sakura traveled she started hearing voices that sounded like venders

"_A marketplace"_she thought.

Sakura quickened her pace as she neared the open area in the middle of the city that enclosed the vender booths. What she saw there made her eyebrow raise into the line of her pink hair.


	5. Bad Idea Updated

**Chapter 5 updated! Keep checking back and read all the chapters that have the word 'Updated' next to them, because it means I've rewritten them! Please enjoy the new and improved chapter 5!**

** Love,**

** Sabakunogaaralover**

What Sakura saw was the biggest market place she had ever seen. Booths upon booths littered the lot. People spending their hard earned money on clothes, jewels, shoes, and all the little trinkets you could ever imagine. It just completely amazed her.

Sakura eyed the venders beneath her and jumped down into the middle of the crowd scaring a few stray cats into an ally. As Sakura walked, a glint of something off to her right caught her eye. She walked towards a booth that was selling jeweled daggers. The light was glinting off a pink-diamond encrusted dagger made with gold. The diamonds were shaped into the design of Sakura flowers.

Sakura was fascinated, she couldn't take her eyes off the dagger. "_Beautiful but deadly" _came to mind. For some reason she felt like she had to have that dagger. Sakura gingerly picked it up and the case and walked towards the merchant.

"I would like this dagger. How much?"said Sakura

When the vendor turned around to address her question, Sakura held her breath. The man before her looked exactly like Sasuke Uchiha, but with blonde hair. The image of Sasuke flashed into mind and Sakura almost began to weep. She bit her lip and held the tears back as she pulled out a few gold coins, that the man said would be sufficient payment, and handed it to the merchant. After a cheery "Have a nice day!" from the vendor, Sakura turned around and but into her lip hard enough to draw blood. She took a minute and bent down to tie the dagger around her leg, opposite of her weapons holder.

Sakura sighed as she straightened, feeling regret that she was never able to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, but held her fists tight as she pushed that thought to the dark corners of her mind.

As the day of browsing through the booths passed by, Sakura began to relax. Around late afternoon, looking down at the bags she carried, she started to walk back to the hospital, not caring or even thinking about the bashing she was going to get from the Kazekage, Gaara, for her leaving the hospital without permission.

Sakura jumped back up to her window when she arrived at the hospital, and jumped into the room, already aware of the red-headed man sitting in her cold and empty bed. Sakura put down her bags and composed her face, preparing her self mentally for the lashing.

Gaara stared at Sakura for a few moments before beginning to speak.

"It seems that you are fully healed enough that you can go out on your own. There is really no reason for you to be here in Suna because I need no such protection. I am fully capable of defending myself. Instead of following me around all day, you will teach a medic class at the hospital. Suna's medic-nin are incapable to even heal a scratch, let alone heal a whole village when need be. You shall not argue and do as your told." Gaara stood up and left the room without another word or even a fleeting look back to see her reaction.

As Gaara spoke, Sakura stood still as stone, staring at a spot on the wall to the right of the Kazekage's head. When she heard the door clicking closed, she finally moved. Sakura walked over to her bed and sat down contemplating the Gaara's words.

"_This is going to be along eight months"_


	6. Unfortunate Living Arrangement Updated

**Chapter 6 Updated! Enjoy!**

** Love,**

** Sabakunogaaralover**

_Two weeks later_

"Alright, it seems your healthy enough to be released. I'll get the papers drawn up for you as quickly as I can." said Jerona, a nurse who had been caring for her since Sakura arrived at the hospital.

She nodded her understanding, and moved up off the bed to collect her things, but Jerona stopped her.

"No, that's alright. I was told that someone would be by soon to pick up your things, and take them to your new home."

Sakura nodded again, and dressed herself for her release.

After all the paperwork had been done, Sakura exited the building where the hospital was held, and stepped onto the street. She began walking down the road, in a random direction, thinking to explore the city some more, when a messenger jumped down from the rooftop above to land before her.

"You have been summoned to join Kazekage–sama for lunch." he said.

"Thank you" she said, and he jumped back up to the rooftop he had come from, and leaped towards the Kazekage tower.

Turning around to walk back in the opposite direction she had started walking before, she made her way through the people on the sidewalk to the Kazekage tower, not much in any hurry to confront Gaara again.

As Sakura walked, she thought about the first time she had seen Gaara, and how terrified she had been by his power, and apparent coldness toward life. She had always found him handsome, and there was something about his expression, his blankness, that had always made her want to hold him, and comfort him. She remembered every minute detail of him, which she found odd.

Looking up from her musings, Sakura realized she had arrived at the Kazekage tower. She shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts, and placed her emotionless mask upon her face, preparing herself for the coming meeting. She opened the door to the building, and walked to the front desk.

Without any word from Sakura, the secretary stood up.

"Follow me, please."

Sakura followed without a response till she was lead to large double doors at the end of a long hallway. The secretary knocked on the door softly and said through the wood,

"Kazekage- sama, Sakura has arrived."

A quiet "enter" was heard and the doors open with only a low creak. Sakura moved through the thresh hold, stepping over a river of sand slithering back towards Gaara's gourd, which at the moment was leaning against the far wall to the right of the Kazekage's desk.

The door closed behind Sakura, and the room became enshrouded in silence. For a minute Sakura watched Gaara work, watched his pale hand as it moved to write kanji on a piece of paper. After a minute to complete his writings, Gaara placed the paper on top a huge pile that sat on his desk, and placed his pen down before he looked up at Sakura.

Without a word or indication of his intentions, Gaara stood up from behind his desk, walked around the large wooden piece, and moved to stand before her. He stretched an arm up to touch her own, and before she knew what was happening, a wave of sand entombed them both, and she felt movement. About a minute later, the sand fell around them and back into the gourd. When the sand cleared entirely, Sakura looked up to see where Gaara had taken her, and was surprised to notice she was facing a sushi restaurant.

Gaara, silently, walked inside the restaurant and move to the front desk. A woman who had been sitting behind the desk quickly stood up upon seeing Gaara enter the restaurant, and smiled brightly, if not a little forced.

"Right this way Kazekage-sama," she said, "your table is ready."

Sakura followed Gaara as they were escorted to a both in the back which was encased in shadows. When they were seated, Sakura looked for all the exits in the squat building. Sakura than took the time to look around their immediate surroundings, noting that Gaara and herself could see all the doors and every table in the restaurant. It was the perfect spot for a shinobi to sit, and eat in peace.

Sakura picked up a menu that was placed before her. Before she could look at the food choices. Gaara spoke.

"There are no open apartments in Suna, so you will live with me in the Kazekage mansion. Your possessions are being moved into a spare room as we speak, and your information will be changed to that address. Any objections?"

During the time period that Gaara spoke, he never lifted up his gaze from the menu, but as he asked a question he brought up his gaze to her own. Sakura looked into his jade gaze, shocked at the lack of emotion. Sakura felt pity for him, for the life he had to have lived for his eyes to be so cold, but soon squashed down her thoughts.

"_He doesn't need pity, especially from me." _Sakura thought.

While Sakura was berating herself for her emotions regarding Gaara, the object of her thoughts waited for her answer.

"No objections, Kazekage-sama"

"Call me Gaara, I get enough Kazekage-sama at the office. I don't need it during my break."

Sakura nodded and looked at the menu. When the waiter came by, she quickly chose a dish of Kyoto, and a glass of water. When the waiter left, Sakura and Gaara were enfolded into silence. It seemed association with Gaara had a lot to do with silence. Wanting something to do, Sakura once again looked at the restaurant, noting the decorations and classyness of it all, and then studied all the customers, and wondered what each were saying in their respective conversations. When the food arrived Sakura and Gaara ate in silence.

When the food was eaten, and the table cleared, Gaara reached into his pocket and pulled out an object, and placed it onto the table with a clink. He stood up and walked out of the restaurant without a word or explanation. Sakura stared at the key that was left behind and sighed mentally.

"_These eight months are going to be to long to handle..."_


	7. The One Who Had Been Lost Updated

**Chapter 7 Updated! Enjoy!**

** Love,**

** Sabakunogaaralover**

Sakura sighed for what seemed the millionth time that day as she hefted a box of clothing up the stairs of the Kazekage mansion. Today was the day that Sakura was officially moving into the same home as Sabaku no Gaara. Sakura walked up the long spiral stair- case to her room upstairs. As she entered her designated room, maids were unpacking all her belongings which had been shipped from Konoha.

As night fell a knock sounded at Sakura's door.

"Come in." Sakura called.

"Dinner is ready, Sakura" said a young servant girl standing at the thresh- hold shyly.

"I'll be right down" replied Sakura.

Sakura walked down the stairs into an area she hoped was the dining room. Before she entered, Sakura took a deep, silent breath to calm herself down, and then took a step forward into the room. Sakura took a quick second to look around the lavishly decorated dining room, and raised a mental eyebrow at all the gold and tassels that seemed to cover every inch of the room. Stepping farther into the room, a butler appeared from what seemed the shadows to take hold of Sakura's elbow and lead her to the right side of the table, to her seat. After the butler executed the most perfect bow she had ever seen, he disappeared through a doorway in which he must of come out of when she entered the room. Taking a seat in a rather plush, high backed chair, Sakura looked up and blinked at the man sitting across from her. Dressed in black from head to toe, with a rather silly cat-eared hoodie, and purple lines marking his face, Sakura remembered that his name was Kankuro, brother of Gaara. She remembered him from the chunin exams, and found it quite amusing that he still had the hoodie she had secretly giggled at when she first saw him.

With a smirk on his face he said "Why, isn't it the pink-haired coward from the chunin exams"

Sakura lost her mirth and smiled tightly in his direction.

With hidden malice she responded "I am no longer the coward you remember Kankuro- san. I have been training with the legendary sanin, Tsuande, and have surpassed her in the medical field. Though I have changed, I see none change in you, Kankuro."

"I have been training myself, Pinky- san" He smirked again when he saw the annoyance reflect in Sakura's eyes at her new nickname. "I also have a new puppet that is still undefeated."

Sakura nodded in respectable acknowledgment, but before she could form a response, the door she had come through opened to reveal a very irritated Gaara. It was interesting how over the years he had changed so dramatically. It was nice to see the once so stoic man show some emotion, regardless of it mostly being anger or annoyance. He walked in mumbling, and from the few words Sakura heard, she guessed that Gaara had a hard day at the Kazekage's office. Sitting down at the head on the table, Gaara leaned back into the chair, and closed his eyes. He took a minute to himself, just breathing in and out to gather his thoughts, and eventually opened his eyes again to focus on Sakura.

"You are finished with packing, I assume?" he asked

Sakura nodded and answered "Yes Gaara- sama"

Gaara did not respond, and looked towards a servant who had been standing discreetly in a shadow of a wall since the Kazekage entered and nodded in his direction. At the second of his nod, the servant entered the door in which the butler had disappeared into, and out came several other servants bearing plates of food to place before them.

This being Sakura's first time having diner at the Kazekage home, she was overwhelmed at the gargantuan amount of food placed before and around her. Surveying the plate in front of her, she took a tentative bite, and moaned silently at how delicious it was. Being famished from all the moving and unpacking, and past traning, she ate her food quickly.

Finishing her meal, Sakura pushed her chair back to excuse herself from the table. A maid came and took her plate even before she could stand up, but when she was about to voice that she could do it, the maid was gone. Shaking her head, she stood up, and bowed in Gaara's direction.

"May it be alright if I may be excused? I now have the urge to work off my dinner with some training" Her question was answered with silence. Sakura took that as a yes, and walked towards the door of the dining room, and then out through the entrance of the Kazekage compound.

Sakura strolled down the quiet streets of Suna. The chilling desert air blew against her bare skin as she walked, pimpling her skin with goose-bumps, towards the direction of the training grounds.

Walking through the wooden gate signaling the entrance of the training ground, Sakura stood in the middle of the field trying to deicide what she should do first.

As she stood there, alarms started to go off in her head, and Sakura was over- whelmed with the feeling that she was not alone. Dropping down into a defensive stance since she didn't know where he enemy would attack her from, she scanned her surroundings, using a sixth- sense she had cried and bled for to hon over the years.

A gust of wind blew Sakura's pink- hued hair into her face, and she felt an arm go around her middle. She tensed and tugged at her attackers arm to let her ago, but to no avail. And then he spoke softly into her ear, his lips skimming the skin.

"Hello, Sakura. Missed me?"

_ "No it can't be him. It can't be. No, no, no, no, NO!" _her mind screamed and reeled.

Sakura closed her eyes and prayed that her ears deceived her, but her prayers were not answered, for she recognized that voice anywhere, since it haunted her dreams every night.

"Sauske…"


	8. Sasuke Updated

**Chapter 8 Updated! Enjoy!**

** Love, **

** Sabakunogaaralover**

The breath she had been holding flew from Sakura's lungs, shock radiated from her eyes. A slight tremble began in her limbs as all of her bundles of thoughts fell to one word.

_ "Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. Why is he here?"_

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Sakuras voice trembled, her body shaking with pent up emotion, as she almost sobbed his name.

"Actually, I'm not here for you. I was doing a little spy work, and you were just a pleasant surprise along the way." said Sasuke.

"Go away Sasuke, leave this place, please?" begged Sakura "Why are you spying on the Kazekage?"

_ "Is he planning on killing the kazekage? Gaara? Why? Is this Orochimaru's plan? Is Sasuke even with Orochimaru? What if this is that evil snake in Sasuke's body, just pretending?" _thoughts and questions raced through her mind as she tried and failed to comprehend what was happening.

Sasuke's hand traveled across Sakura's stomach down to her thigh where he tightly squeezed the flesh there. "I see you have finally grown a woman's body. Such a relief from that scrawny body you had before" Sasuke whispered into her ear huskily.

Hearing the lust in Sasuke's tone of voice, Sakura shivered in fear. She had never heard him like this. She couldn't even begin to guess if he had it in him to rape her now. This was a Sasuke she didn't know how to deal with, and that frightened her more. Grabbing a kunai from her pack she had on her thigh, she slashed backwards towards Sasuke's stomach. Quickly moving back to dodge her blow, his smile never left his lips.

Safely a few feet back, Sakura looked over her childhood love. He looked exactly the same as before, for the exception of a little height and muscle tone. Taking a deep breath, Sakura took the battle stance of the Hyuuga. Over the years of training alongside Hinata, Sakura had almost perfected the Gentle Fist style, but never pried Hinata to tell her the secret of the stance. Sakura successfully shocked Sasuke with her knowledge, but she only knew from the slight widening of his eyes.

Sasuke's smile turned mocking when he said "I see that you have learned a few new tricks while I was away. Let's see what else you have learned while I was gone."

Sasuke smirked and charged Sakura using his speed to disorientate her. Sakura did not respond to his taunt, instead breathing calmly to steady herself for the coming fight, and dodged his attack at the last second, impressed and terrified at his speed, which had dramatically changed over the years. Flipping back, Sakura landed a few feet, and charged Sasuke. Using the Gentle Fist style of the Hyuuga, Sakura hit the chakra points of Sasuke's shoulder, and diabled the chakra flow of his right arm.

The limb fell useless to his side, and he growled as he said "You will pay for that, you bitch!"

Jumping up to land on top of Sakura, Sasuke took out a kunai and threw it in Sakura's direction. It hit her on the shoulder, following Sasuke as he pushed it farther into her body. Sakura groaned and panted in the pain that throbbed in her shoulder. The same shoulder that had been wounded a few weeks before. Sakura had a fleeting thought that maybe the rouge ninja who had attacked her had been sent by Sasuke, and that maybe, just maybe, he had been there the whole time watching her.

Before any more fighting could continue, Sasuke jumped back and away from the pink- haired kunoichi. Sakura quickly looked around the area, noting the growing number of faces of the Suna, ANBU Black Ops, and stood up from her position on the ground. She turned her head to look at Sasuke, standing there calmly in the face of over a dozen of the best fighters Suna had to offer. He gave her a quick grin, as to say "see you later" and jumped backwards into the foliage surrounding the training ground. All but two of the ANBU went after him, the remaining stood by Gaara. She looked to the Kazekage, and watched him look in the direction that Sasuke took escape.

Sakura walked over to him, and when she neared, he tuned those emotionless jade- colored eyes to her face

"He was after you, Kazekage-sama" Gaara nodded, and began to walk away, leaving a bleeding Sakura to the medic- nin.


	9. Showers And Embaressment Updated

**Chapter 9 Updated! Enjoy!**

**Love, **

**Sabakunogaaralover**

When Sakura was bandaged and released from the clutches of the medic-nin, she began the trek back to the Kazekage's home and her room, all the while pondering on the most recent events that had occurred.

"_I can't believe I saw Sasuke again. After all this time, this is when he decides to show himself to me. And he attacked me. Of all the people! What has Orocimaru done to the Sasuke that I knew and loved?"_

Entering the mansion, Sakura walked by all the servants in a daze, missing the looks of worry that crossed their faces at the bandages that her body now adorned, and entered her room. Sighing heavily in sorrow, Sakura stripped down from her dirty and bloody clothes and put on a robe.

Walking across the hall to the bathroom, Sakura stepped through the door, locked it in her wake, and de-clothed. She turned to the shower and turned the knob onto scolding heat. Waiting a few moments before stepping in, she closed her eyes and relished in the billows of steam that escaped the shower. She then took a deep breath and stepped into the spray.

The wound on her shoulder stung as the heated water seeped through the bandages but Sakura paid no mind to the slight pain. Leaning her body on the tiles of the shower, Sakura allowed a single tear to slide down her face.

"_I have been emotionless from the day Sasuke left, holding in everything that I felt so that I could be strong enough to face him again if I ever had the chance, and now, after all the years in emotionless silence, he makes me shed tears yet again" _

Wiping the dripping water from her eyes angrily, Sakura stood up and finished her shower while thinking,

"_I will not shed another tear for that betraying bastard. He has left me with nothing but sorrow and misery and I refuse to live with that! I must live for myself and my future, not the future I dreamed of with Sasuke. A future I wished for, but now I know will never come true. Not after tonight." _

Sakura stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her naked form. Standing in front of the smoked mirror, Sakura hesitated just a moment before she wiped a hand across the surface to clear the steam, and studied the woman that came into view.

When she cut her hair during the Chunin exams, Sakura decided that she would keep her hair short. It wasn't until after Sasuke left that she grew it out again, hoping Sasuke would come back and appreciate how she remembered that he preferred woman with longer hair. Now, the pink strands hung around her waist and hips, dripping water down her thighs. She tied up her hair in a messily made bun to pull the hair from her face, and considered her scrutinization of her body, sort of like she had never seen it before.

Bright lime- green eyes stood out in a round and supple face, dark curvy lashes framing her elegant eyes. She also has lush lips that had formed into a frown over the years. Sakura tried to smile into the mirror, and it only looked slightly forced. This gave her a slight sense of hope. Hope that maybe she really could move on with her life now.

After dropping the towel down to the floor, Sakura continued the study of her body, moving on to her skin and form. Soft skin ran through her entire length, with many pinkish scars marring the surface. She remembered a time long before when those scars would have infuriated her. She was once told that her skin was her best feature. Something not even Ino could ignore. She smiled again at the memories she had with Ino, and the fights they had over Sasuke. She wondered how she was doing, then shook her head at the thoughts and decided that she would go back to Konoha and visit everyone again.

Sakura lifted up an arm, and flexed her muscles, watching as the muscles under her skin flexed to steel, physical proof of all the years she spent honing her body to be the perfect fighting machine. Sakura ate well, most times. In the life of the ninja, food is usually something you had to eat, whether you liked it or not, or face the weakness that hunger brought. But, when Sakura had the choice, she ate healthier foods, and proof of that was the zero percent of body fat her body had.

At this point, the steam in the bathroom had covered the mirror again. Bending down to grab the towel she had dropped, Sakura covered herself, and exited the bathroom, only to bump into Gaara in the hallway.

Sakura blinked in surprise at seeing Gaara, and blushed lightly when she realized that she was completely naked underneath the slim towel.

"Gaara!" she stammered, "What are you doing here?"

Gaara raised an eyebrow at Sakura's lack of clothing and the inquiry, but said nothing.

"_Damn Sakura, way to be stupid. He lives here!"_

Sakura blushed harder at her thoughts, and watched Gaara's face to see his reaction. When she looked a little closer, Sakura noticed there was a pink tinge to the Kazekage's cheeks. Sakura blinked again as she realized that Gaara was blushing over _her_.

"_Oh my, what do I do? Damn, this is embarrassing."_ Sakura looked away quickly from Gaara's eyes, then she flicked them back just as quickly

"_Well, he is quite adorable when he blushes like that."_

Inside of Gaara's head all he could think about was the petite, nearly naked woman standing before him.

Long pink hair was tied in a haphazard bun at the top of her head, a few stands sticking out and framing her face, making her look as she had just tumbled out of bed then the shower. Her skin glowed and smelled of cherries, her cheeks flushed from the hot shower she had just stepped out from. Green eyes also glowed with newfound emotions that caused Gaara to realize just how attractive Sakura was when she looked so alive.

Gaara had never had any sexual relations with a woman or man in his life. This was because either he was being feared or other people were afraid to get close to him. Gaara being at the age of 22 and still a virgin was known throughout the entire village. Furthermore, Gaara was never attracted to any of the women in his village, or any other village for that matter. Now that he was Kazekage, he had thousands of women throwing themselves at him, but he never even gave them a thought. He wondered what it was about this one woman that maybe him feel that his body was coming alive.

Sakura watched in slight amazement as Gaara changed from a light pink blush to a full blown-out tomato red. Shocked, Sakura said "Gaara, are you alright?"

She watched as Gaara turned purple and nodded quickly before he turned and walked briskly to his room where he was locked in for hours with the sound of running water coming through the door.

Sakura shrugged, confused, but said nothing as she walked to her own room to get changed before she settled into her room for the night.


	10. Meeting on the training grounds

After changing into the classic jonin style, Sakura grabbed her shuriken holster and walked through the door, planning a day for herself and her thoughts.

On the way to the market, Sakura reviewed her stay in Suna so far

"I was attacked by my ex-crush twice, and Gaara saw me partially naked. What a great time" Sakura thought with sarcasm.

Not bothering to pay attention to the booths passing by her, Sakura wandered aimlessly around the village until she found herself in the same training field where she and Sasuke had fought a time ago.

Walking to a beaten tree, Sakura began practicing her shuriken throws. Throwing without paying much attention, Sakura thought about what Sasuke had said.

"Why was Sasuke spying on Gaara? What does he want? Since the fact that Sasuke was in Suna without papers, and he hurt a ninja means that war is to be declared. Perhaps that's what Orochimaru wanted. Maybe he wants to take over Suna as he did with leaf when I was a genin."

Sakura threw another Shuriken, almost hitting a passing squirrel. Putting her hand into her thigh holster she realized she had thrown all of her weapons and went to the tree to pull out the shuriken buried in the trunk.

"I have to tell Gaara my thoughts about this and the upcoming war. Thinking about Gaara, why did he blush when he saw me get out of the shower? I'm not anything special. Gaara is pretty cute when he blushes though. That was a bonus to see."

Swift thoughts of what could have been in Gaara's mind, as he looked over her half- naked body overpowered everything else.

"No! I can't think about that! Even though Gaara is incredibly handsome... No! Stop it Sakura!"

Sakura plopped down at the base of the tree and leaned her head against the bark, closing her eyes.

A picture of Gaara came to the front of her mind and Sakura just let herself go.

"Why do I keep thinking of you, Gaara? Am I that desperate that I have to think of the first handsome man that ever showed an interest in me?"

In the back of her mind Sakura cringed as an image of Sasuke when he was still her teammate overpowered Gaara's image.

Sakura sighed and opened her eyes to the blue sky above her. Sakura tilted her head to the direction of the setting sun and let the rays warm her face until she had a healthy glow.

Pulling her knees into her chest, Sakura leaned her head against her knees, idly pulling a shuriken from her holster and spinning it around her pointer- finger.

Thoughts of Gaara persisted in playing through her head. Sighing in frustration, Sakura stood up and threw the shuirken at a tree not seeing that she aimed for the head of the Kazekage.

Hearing a thump and a sigh, Sakura spun around to face the Kazekage, who had moved his head just enough to the right to dodge the weapon.

Sakura's face flushed a bright red, but the coloring was the only sign that Sakura was embarrassed.

"I apologize, Kazekage. I did not hear your arrival."

"Hn" was Gaara's only response.

"If I may ask. Why are you here?"

"I come here to watch the sun set."

Sakura looked up to the sun, her pink hair flowing over her shoulder and rest against her back. Feeling eyes on her, she looked to Gaara to see he was watching her. The look in his eyes confused her. To her it looked to be affection.

"That couldn't be? How could Gaara have affection for me? We haven't even had a decent conversation. And even before that, we have barely even said a few words to each other."

Sakura walked back over to the tree she was sitting under before and sat in the exact spot. Looking to the Kazekage she pointed to the spot next to her.

"Why won't you join me? We could watch the sun set together."

Gaara stared at Sakura for a long moment before walking over to the spot. He stopped in front of her and stared down at her silently for another long moment before reaching behind him and releasing the strap on his gourd.

A loud thump was heard as the heavy gourd dropped to the ground. Gaara caught the container of sand before it could fall to her ground and leaned it against the side of the tree before gracefully sitting down beside her, almost close enough to touch.

In a shocking moment, Gaara leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees and seemed to relax into the pose.

Sakura has never, ever seen Gaara relaxed. And she was more shocked because he was relaxed around her. Looking to his back, through his tight black shirt, Sakura saw that his spine was shaped into and "S". Wanting to reach out and touch his spine, Sakura held her hands tight in her lap.

"What happened to your back?" asked Sakura

"Years of carrying the gourd." Said Gaara

Sakura looked to the gourd on the other side of Gaara's form. The container looked harmless, possibly a decoration in a home, but Sakura knew better. She knew the sand it contained could kill people in a single second. She never let her guard down around Gaara, always secretly terrified he would turn on her and kill her in the "Sand Coffin". But now, there was an aura of peace. Sakura looked to Gaara, his handsome face highlighted in the last rays of the sun.

"Gaara isn't so bad once you get used to him."

"Gaara?" Gaara turned to look at her.

"Why are you always alone?"

Gaara looked to the sun again and Sakura thought he wasn't going to answer her. After what seemed to be forever and an eternity Gaara opened his mouth and spoke

"I was always mistreated by the villagers, yet I never blamed them…I am a monster…" Sakura opened her mouth to speak but Gaara gave her a look that silenced her.

"I found out after killing my uncle that I liked killing as much as Shukaku did. So I killed to satisfy him. Everyone just stayed away from me since then"

Gaara fell silent, looking at Sakura to see her reaction, expecting her run and scream and call him monster. After a few seconds, Sakura shook her head and said "Have you ever thought if you ever found someone you could love and they loved you back that you could possibly get over the thirst for blood. Maybe the person you love could love Shukaku because she, or he, could over look that you had a demon inside you? Love is always the cure for a lonely heart."

Flashes of what Gaara's uncle said to him flew through his mind, making him as silent as death

"Could you ever love a monster, Sakura?"

Sakura was shocked about the question but even more that he used her name. Gaara never spoke to someone using their name. Struggling to hide her shock, Sakura forced her mask of indifference over her features before she answered.

"I could. But only if they were willing to love me back. I would work to make them a better person."

Gaara watched Sakura as she spoke, surprised by her answer but his emotions did not show on his face. Images of him married to Sakura, making a family with her came to mind, but he pushed them away. Shaking himself mentally Gaara "Hn"ed and watched as the sun finally sank below the horizon.

After a moment of silence, Gaara stood up and grabbed his gourd and slung it across his back. He began to walk in the direction on the Kazekage mansion, stopping halfway across the training field, he turned around and said to Sakura "Coming?"

Sakura was stunned again that day and nodded her head standing up and following Gaara to their shared home.


	11. Secret love in the Kazekage's office

**Ok. I'm going to try my hardest to start making longer chapters but it might take more time for me to update but I'm trying my best under the circumstances. I love you all and thanks for reading. ENJOY!!!**

The next day

Gaara was sitting in his office, listening to the report on the sightings of Sasuke Uchiha.

"We have spotted him twice this week around the city wall. I think he's trying to find a weak spot so Orochimaru can attack easily. But there are none in our walls."

Gaara nodded, dismissing the ninja, he leaned back against his chair. He reached up and rubbed his eyes and then his temples, feeling a headache begin to form behind his eyes.

A full moon was tonight and Shukaku was beginning to become restless. Gaara closed his eyes in exhaustion but didn't dare to sleep.

"_Let me out, little Gaar_a" growled Shukaku "_I've been so nice not killing that little pink- haired beauty. I know you love her…"_

Gaara's eyes snapped open and he struggled to find a come back. He has been feeling something for the girl. He thought it was just admiration because she wasn't afraid of him anymore. Shukaku gave him the ability of heightened senses, smell included, and he could smell fear on any person, but with Sakura... It's almost gone now.

There was a knock on the door and Gaara called for the person to be let in. The main star of his thoughts walked in. Sakura looked so beautiful today. Her pink hair was flowing down her back and over her right shoulder, looking like a cascading waterfall of color. She wore Suna's jonin uniform but with a feminine twist. The pants were cut to short shorts and the shirt up to just covering her chest. Bandage wrappings covered her stomach and her left arm, and the vest was left open.

"Kazekage..." Sakura said in greeting. Gaara dipped his head in response. "Kazekage- sama..." Sakura started "I have come to discuss the war Orocimaru has started" Gaara nodded and motioned for her to sit down in the only chair in his office.

"I have been thinking of some battle plans. When this war comes to us I want all the ninja capable to fight in the battle. We will need all the men we can get"

Gaara nodded, accepting this information, images of the battle formations forming in his minds eye.

"We could put you in the second attack. The ninja's I will train and I will be in front as the first defense. You could kill off the sound ninja while you're waiting for us to give you the signal, but nothing to major" Gaara looked into Sakura's eyes than sighed, something he never does.

Closing his eyes Gaara said "Whatever it takes to end this unnecessary war"

Sakura looked at the Kazekage's body, he looked exhausted mentally. _"I think that anytime now Shukaku might take over and kill us all, but…. Gaara is trying so hard to hold him back… since the months that I have been here I have seen that Gaara is trying to keep Shukaku from showing at all… Is it because of me?... I remember when we were twelve during the chunin exams….. God, he was such an evil child, but now… he's changed so much for the better. I just hope that he'll continue to get better"_

"_You know you love him…."_ A voice she hasn't heard since she was thirteen popped into her head. Sakura's alternate personality has been silent since Sasuke left. Why, of all times, has she come back?

"_You know you love him…"_ Said the voice again. "_No I don't_" thought Sakura back, but the attempt was weak.

"_I knew it! You have loved him since both of you were younger and you know it! You fell in love with his power and his looks."_

Sakura looked closer at Gaara, his fiery red hair, the Kanji of love on his forehead, the gourd leaning on the side of the desk, than to Gaara's face. She saw the lines of stress and the depression hidden behind his eye lids, and suddenly Sakura found herself wanting to get up and kiss him, hug him, anything to take the pain away from him.

"_I do love him…"_ thought Sakura.

With Sasuke, all she wanted to do was to marry him, to prove to Ino that she could get the man every girl wanted. But with Gaara, she just wanted to comfort him.

Making a very dangerous decision, Sakura walked around the Kazekage's desk until she stood in front of him, yet he didn't open his eyes. Sakura leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Gaara's eyes snapped open and he looked into Sakura's eyes, right above his. He than just watched as Sakura leaned forward again and hugged him, holding him tight against her small, petite body. Sakura only said three words that set his mind spinning

"I love you"

**I know the chapter is not longer but I thought that was a great place to stop. I'll update real soon **

**Read and Review please!**

**-SabakuNoGaaraLover**


	12. Decisions

Here's another chapter for your enjoyment!! THANKS FOR READING! So sorry for the long delay!!

--

Gaara's eyes snapped open and he looked into Sakura's eyes, right above his. He than just watched as Sakura leaned forward again and hugged him, holding him tight against her small, petite body. Sakura only said three words that set his mind spinning

"I love you"

--

Gaara's body stiffened.

Sakura pulled away and looked into Gaara's eyes, looking for some sign of a positive reaction. Gaara just stared at her with stunned admiration.

Gaara than suddenly pulled away and stood up, quickly walking to the other side of the room, clutching his chest and breathing hard. He looked at Sakura and his breathing quickened even more, if that was even possible.

"How….How can you….. How can you love me? A monster?..." Asked Gaara, his voice ragged and strained.

Sakura took a moment to ponder on her response "I don't think you're a monster…I think what is inside you is a monster… But you can't help that. And you've been so kind to me. Kinder than I've seen you with anybody."

Gaara shook his head in denial, a keening sound erupted from his lips. Gaara could not comprehend that someone loved him, that they thought he was not a monster. Than his face hardened.

"Your lying"

A wave of sand cocooned Sakura. She banged against the walls trying to find a soft spot but could not.

"Please Gaara, I am not lying. I can promise you that. I am as shocked as you are, but i can't stop my feelings. I love you no matter how hard you try to deny it"

Gaara shook his head fiercely, than crouched down holding his body to himself. It was silent for what seemed like hours. Than finally the walls of the sand cocoon began to crumble. Sakura stood there watching Gaara rock back and forth and all she wanted to do was hug him until all his doubts went away, kiss him until he believed, but Sakura knew that in Gaara's state of mind that would not do a lick of good.

After the scratching of the sand settled into silence Sakura watched and waited. Finally Gaara looked up at her his face ashen. "How can I believe that you love me?" asked Gaara softly, barely moving his lips. "How?"

Sakura just shrugged her shoulders "Just because" Sakura looked away

Gaara stared at her like she was crazy than he joltedly looked out the window and smiled before saying softly to himself

"A sandstorm is coming..."

Sakura started towards Gaara before his gaze was riveted to hers again "A sandstorms coming…" He repeated before the sand that was once settled on the ground cocooned him, than he was gone.

"Gaara!" yelled Sakura. She fell to her knees ,and her face feel into her hands

"What have I done" thought Sakura.

With Gaara

Gaara walked through the desert, whirling sand screamed around him, calming him enough for him to think

"There is no way she loves me, she think she does, no one can love me, I am a monster, what I have done, killed so many people for so little a reason, I did because I wanted to... not because Shukaku did"

Gaara sat down in the sand, than fell to his back, laying there watching the sand of his home fly through the air in a deadly dance. Than he curled into a ball, his head in his hands. He stayed like that, reasoning with himself. One part of his mind said "Yes he was a monster, that Sakura was lying, she just wanted to use him just like all the others" and another part of his mind said "Sakura never looked at him like he was a monster, never truly feared him, that it was possible that something like him could be deserving of love". For hours he laid there, until on of the voice in his head crushed the other into silence and he came to a fateful decision.

With Sakura

After Gaara disappeared, Sakura ran out into the desert, hoping to find him before the sandstorm hit, but once it struck, Sakura's skin was almost peeled back from her body, with the mounds of sand flowing through the air, roaring in her ears.

She ran back to her home and stood in the living room area for a while, just looking around in a daze. She moved her neck again to do another sweep of the room, but aching pain made her move to the bathroom, the shower, to wash of the sand and but healing cream on her rubbed- raw skin. After her shower, and treating herself, Sakura changed into a shirt and shorts and sat on her bed, depression slowly crowding her thoughts.

"Why did I have to fall in love with someone who doesn't have the capacity to understand what it is? And it is impossible for me to change the way I feel, no matter how I tried with Sasuke, it wasn't until he tried to kill me that I stopped loving him"

Sakura sighed and walked over to the small bureau in her room and pulled out a shuriken and laid in bed holding the weapon, like a child would hold a teddy bear. No matter how dangerous it was outside, it didn't mean that the sound ninja might not use that to their advantage to attack.

Sakura's eyes slowly closed as an image of Gaara's tortured face flashed in her mind. A tear slowly went down her cheek to rest on her pillow before her mind shut off into a restless sleep.

With Gaara

Opening the door to the small house was easy enough to do with his sand. Swinging the door open, Gaara walked into the relatively plain living room of Sakura Haruno. Gaara walked through the room, his hand lightly touching everything in his path, lightly feeling the essence of her.

Gaara followed her scent to her room , again he opened the locked door and walked in. He walked over to the bed and watched Sakura as she slept. He leaned down and ran a finger down her cheek, slowly her eyes opened. Sakura blinked up at him.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?"

Gaara just slowly leaned forward and kissed her tentatively on the lips. He straightened and looked down at her unbelieving face

"Teach me to love"


	13. War

**Here is the next chapter!**

The days after Gaara's declaration, Sakura has been watching him closely, being extra careful with him.

At the moment, Gaara and Sakura were sitting in his office, listening to a scout ninja tell them they have not seen any sound ninja, including Sasuke, in the area he was assigned.

Sakura sighed. The ninja standing in front of her and Gaara looked between the two people, clearly curious as to why they were sitting so close, but had enough sense to not ask.

"There have been no sig…" began the ninja before another ninja, sweating and panting for breath burst through the door, to fall in his knees before the Kazekage

"I saw them… all of them… twenty-three miles….hundreds of...sound ninjas..." Gaara was getting frustrated because he didn't understand what the man was saying, he was just about to torture the man with his sand to spit out what he wanted to say, before Sakura put a hand on his arm, halting him.

Sakura looked into his eyes and he instantly calmed down, while the other two ninja in the room looked like they just had seen a ghost.

"_How is it possible that this…this.. this woman! Can calm the Kazekage? What is going on between them?_" thought the first ninja

Sakura than stood up and walked over to the kneeling man, she put a hand on his chest, than a growl reverberated around the room. Sakura looked back over her shoulder to see Gaara, scowling and glaring at the hand on the man's chest like he wished it would burst into flames.

"Gaara..." began Sakura and instantly the growling ceased, and the ninja stared at Sakura in awe.

Sakura closed her eyes and a soft pink glow emanated from her hand on the mans chest, the ninjas breathing instantly calmed. "Thank you" said the kneeling ninja "Ive had asthma since i was a child"

Sakura nodded and stood, followed seconds after from the man, who could now stand straight.

"Kazekag- sama, I was on watch when I noticed a slight movement in the distance, I went to check it out and found close to a hundred and fifty sound ninja, tucked into a huge valley between two sand dunes, I hurriedly escaped before I was noticed and raced here, no one knows of this other than the people in this room. Also, Kazekage- sama, the Uchiha was in their ranks"

Gaara nodded, signaling the ninja to leave the room. Once the room was cleared Gaara sat down at his desk chair and closed his eyes. Sakura watched him closely, wondering what reaction the silent Kazekage would have to the news.

Without opening his eyes, Gaara spoke "Assemble all the ninja in the village, Sakura, and inform them of the news, in four days they will be going to war. But before than, you and I, including a handful of guards, will go to the camp, and ask them to surrender, we will give them one full day to decide, than if they don't surrender... we will attack"

Sakura nodded and preformed a few hand signs before disappearing in a swarm of cherry blossoms.

Gaara laid his head down against his desk when he was finally alone, showing a little sign of weakness

Sakura appeared in front of a small but neat home, she stepped up to the door and knocked on the door. Sakura heard a crash from inside the house, and a scream and without a thought opened the door and dashed into the kitchen, were she heard the crash come from.

Sitting on the floor with a bleeding leg was a petite woman around in her early thirties who was heavily pregnant. All around her was broken glass and in the corner was an overturned chair.

Sakura leaned down to the womens eye level "Are you alright?"

The woman looked up startled not realizing that someone was in the house, she looked at Sakura's sand head band and a look of relief flew over the womans face before it was replaced with a smile and than a wince when she shifted.

Sakura looked down at the wound on the womans leg, seeing a piece of glass sticking out. Sakura gingerly put a hand on the piece of glass and than looked at the woman "Your going to feel a slight warming sensation, don't worry its good, than a small sting as i take this out"

The woman nodded and looked away.

Sakura's hand glowed a light pink and the pain on the womans face disappeared, than Sakura quickly pulled out the large piece of glass. The woman gasped loudly for that. Sakura threw the piece with the others on the floor and healed the womans leg. Standing up, Sakura offered a hand to the woman and helped her to her feet.

The woman dusted of her flowery apron and smiled at her savior. She took Sakura's hand in her own "Thank you so much for healing me, i really appreciate the help" The woman smiled a smile that lit up the room

Sakura couldn't help herself and smiled back at the women.

The woman tisked to herself and went to a closet hidden in the kitchen and pulled out a broom and began sweeping up the broken glass than quickly remembered her manners and leaned the broom on the counter and lifted a hand to shake Sakura's.

"I am sorry, my names Mizuki, Tonya's wife. I am guessing you are here for him?"

Sakura nodded "I am sorry to say he is not here right now, I sent him on an errand for me since I cant get around much anymore" one of Mizuki's hand fondly began rubbing her pregnant belly

After Mizuki spoke the front door opened and the soft steps of a trained ninja came softly on the tiled flooring.

Tonya walked into the kitchen and a smile instantly appeared on his face than it died quickly when he noticed the glass and overturned chair on the floor. Rushing to put the shopping bags onto the counter he flew to his wife. Tonya quickly checked her over, not ever bothering to notice Sakura in his home until he knew for a fact his wife was safe. Once he was satisfied he hugged and kissed his wife than asked "Mizuki! What did I tell you about to things like this? Couldn't you have waited until I came home? Theres blood on the floor but I don't see any injuries on you, what happened, my love?"

Mizuki shyly looked down to the floor and said "I wanted to get your favorite cookies from the cabinet to go with the hot chocolate that I made, to thank you for all you've done, and all you've had to suffer because of me" explained Mizuki "But I miss calculated the distance and tried to jump for them but than the chair tilted and I fell and brought down a plate with me, hurt my leg in the process, but Sakura here was there to help me. She healed me with her chakra. She came here to see you!"

Tonya blinked at Sakura, just noticing for the first time that she was there "Sakura! What a surprise!" said Tonya "How have you been?"

Sakura looked directly into Tonya's eyes and said "Were going to war."


	14. Author's Note After Two Long Years!

**Hello everyone! I know its been sooo long since I've last updated this fanfic, but I feel its time to finish it! So, I'm going to go over the last chapters I wrote to get a refresh of the story, maybe make some changes, and then I'll release some new chapters after 2 very long years! Thank you all for sticking by my side all this time, and I hope I wont disappoint!**

** Love, **

** ~Sabakunogaaralover**


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